I can never deliver eloquent reviews, but can tell you to “read this”. But, here’s my choppy and concise review for you. 😉 
 
This book is told through dual timelines of Sara in the 1910’s and her granddaughter, Abby in 1994; Sara as a child through her early 20’s as she grew up in a poor Jewish immigrant family in NYC and Abby as a new divorce attorney working with high profile clientele. 
 
The concept of gift matchmaking through a supernatural like power was sweet - seeing a spark of light between two people. I also loved the relationship between Sara and Abby that was sprinkled throughout the story.  
 
Sara understood her gift early on and learned the consequences of these matches. At the time she learned about her gift, she faced hostile resistance against the professional male Jewish matchmakers who blamed her for taking business from them.  
 
Abby’s timeline started right after the death of her grandmother. She inherits a box of journals with the detailed entries of her Grandmother’s matches and skeptical of any matchmaking gift she has, but fascinated about learning about her Grandmother.  
 
If you need a happy, refreshing read, this is definitely the book for you! My last living Grandmother is 90 and although her mind is not what is was, I appreciate the stories of her youth.  
 
Thanks as well to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for a copy of this ARC! All thoughts are my own.  
 
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I completely loved this story. The relationship between Abby and her grandmother, Sara, is one of the best things about this book. The storyline jumping from Sara's past to Abby's current life was seamless. I will definitely recommend this book to all types of readers.

The Matchmaker's Gift follows the typical dual timeline format, revolving around Sara and Abby, grandmother and granddaughter. But, it's not a typical story and was an interesting book on several different levels.
Young Sara shows the somewhat mystical ability to be a matchmaker. Her early story is focused on the challenges she and her family experience just trying to survive after they emigrated from Moldova in 1910....and continues until her death in 1994. Abby is an up and coming divorce lawyer working with well known clients, with her career choice framed by her parent's divorce when she was young. Early on, we learn of Sara's passing and that Abby has inherited her journals. And this begins a well-researched book of historical fiction, with a little mystery and romance thrown in.
There's a lot to like about The Matchmaker's Gift. The description of Sara and her family's life on the lower East Side in the early 20th century was very interesting. I also liked learning the history behind matchmakers, especially the offense taken by the shadchanim (the official matchmakers paid for their services) when a young, unmarried woman dares to intrude on their "territory". Scenes with the Pickle King reminded me of a movie from the 80's - Crossing Delancey.
The author included a suggested reading list at the end, which I appreciated, and would just add The Tenement Museum in NYC as a resource if you're interested in learning more about the lives of immigrants during this time period and happen to be visiting NYC.
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read The Matchmaker's Gift in exchange for an honest review.

THE MATCHMAKER’S GIFT Linda Cohen Loigman Historical Fiction

Two women from two different generations within the same family are featured. This tells a story of true love and the people behind the scenes who seemingly make it happen: the matchmakers. Those matchmakers in the Jewish community were always men. The first female matchmaker faced scrutiny by these matchmaker men who were watching closely to see this strange girl child matchmaker.

While I don’t believe in matchmaking services for myself, I found this to be a charming book. It’s fascinating about how some talents and abilities seem to span generations. This was a very fun and light read. I would give it a solid 5 out of 5 stars.

4.75⭐
G because this is women's fiction not romance!

Where do I start with this delightful book?! If you take a dual timeline family book and cross it with a bit of Fiddler on the Roof and Suits with a dash of a Shakespeare comedy and magic, that's basically Matchmaker's Gift.

I love how this book followed Sara from 1910 through 1994 to explore her life as an immigrant to New York growing up in a Jewish community where her desired profession of matchmaking is not open to her, combined with her diver lawyer granddaughter Abby trying to figure out her grandmother's story after she's passed away. Lynda created this rich story woven together that expounded on Jewish immigrants' life in the early 1900s while providing a compelling story of love lives gone wrong that Abby could not help but want to fix. I feel like I've made this sound too complicated but the book just works.

There is a true beauty of watching people fall in love and this book gives its readers so many snapshots of people falling in love while providing some magic and family lore that was thoroughly enjoyable. The ending did wrap up a little too easily but that just made this book a lovely cozy read. If you love women's fiction and family history and people finding love and Jewish traditions, you definitely should read this book and I feel like it would be a great one to read by the fire this winter.

I was gifted this in exchange for an honest review. I recently read this and really enjoyed it - it has shot up to the top of my favorites list of 2022.

This is a multi-generational family drama with a wonderful twist!!

What if you were only 10 years old and found that when you looked at a certain man and woman, a bright laser-like light would appear between them. This light was something only you can see – what would you do??

This novel is told in dual timelines which flowed together beautifully and I had no problem following the switches from the 1920’s to the 1990’s. Both timelines take place in New York City’s Lower East Side.

Sara Glikman is very young when she begins to realize that she has a gift for matchmaking. She doesn’t seek out people, they just are people that she comes in contact with in her daily life. The couples that she brings together often don’t know that Sara has seen the “sign” that they are soulmates. Sara has a great way of bringing people together in her own special way.

However, it isn’t long before the local “shadchans'', older Jewish men, and only men, discover that she has brought people together. They are furious as they are always sought out, especially by the wealthy, to make the perfect marriage match – they charge for this service and in money and sometimes gifts.

In 1994 Sara’s granddaughter. Abby is a successful Manhattan divorce lawyer. When her grandmother dies Sara inherits her journals. She discovers all of the matchmaking that Sara had done throughout her life.

Could Abby also have this gift? I’ll leave this for you to discover.

This was a great novel that held my attention. The only thing that brought it down to a 4 for me was the pace. I found that it was a bit slow going which only slightly detracted from my enjoyment of the book.

I want to thank St. Martin’s Press for my beautiful gifted copy of this wonderful novel. The cover is simply beautiful!!

I can recommend this to anyone who enjoys a great story with a unique slant. I also really enjoyed the author’s notes which will explain why she chose to write this novel – always great to know.

I'll admit what first drew me to this book is it's gorgeous cover.
This is a multi-generational dual time line Jewish matchmaking story.
The perspective is of two Jewish matchmakers, a grandmother and granddaughter . After the grandmother Sarah's death Abby the granddaughter reads journals her grandmother had written about people she had helped with matchmaking. This gives her quite the insight into her grandmother's life in her younger days and helps her in her matchmaking as well.
When Sarah discovers she has a gift for matchmaking she is just a young girl, she has to hide her talent because men were the Jewish matchmakers and they charged a fee for this service.
In both timelines these women were treated cruelly, Sarah by the men who don't think she should be doing the matchmaking and Abby by her cruel female boss. These women don't let this hold them back though, they are strong and overcome the negativity thrown at them.
There is a magical realism in this book. It's fun,it's charming,it's about strong women who persevere.
I enjoyed reading about the Jewish customs and traditions and the meals sounded delicious.
There is plenty of Yiddish in the text adding to the authenticity of the story. This is my first read by this author but now I'll be on the lookout for more.
Recommended!

First published September 20, 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

I was enjoying reading this lengthy book. Unfortunately, it expired and I can’t finish the book. What a shame.

What a delightful, heartwarming book. I simply loved it!

The plot centers around two women in different time periods. Sara is an immigrant from Eastern Europe who emigrates to New York with her family in 1910.
Abby is Sara’s granddaughter, who is a lawyer in New York in 1994.
Both women have a gift of the ability to see love between people, even before those people know each other!

Sara was a child when she made her first match between her own sister and a passenger on the ship that brought them to New York. As an adult, Sara became a “ matchmaker “, a traditional line of work amongst Jewish men on the lower East side. She wasn’t well received by the male members of the occupation, but over her lifetime, she became a well respected figure in the world of matchmaking.

Following her death at age 94, Abby discovers the journals her grandmother kept, filled with the names of all the marital matches she had made!
It was her late grandmother’s desire that Abby follow in her footsteps!

This was a well written book, so enjoyable to read. The story lines between the two generations is easy to follow.
Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for this advanced copy.
I give it 5 giant stars!

4.5 Stars Rounded Up.

I received a reviewer copy of The Matchmaker's Gift by Lynda Cohen Loigman from the publisher St, Martin's Press from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What It’s About: This book follows two timelines and two lovable women. In 1910, Sara Glikman is a gifted match maker she can see soulmates, but unfortunately those who practice the art of matchmaking are older males who are out for money. Sara wants to continue to connect people but must do it quietly. We also follow her granddaughter Abby, a successful divorce lawyer, grieving her beloved grandmother's death, who may have inherited some of these match making skills.

What I Loved: Oh gosh I truly loved this book. If you need a book that will warm your heart, here it is is! I found both timelines enchanting and both characters delightful. I loved the mix of tradition and romance. This book just made me so happy. I really learned a lot about a cultural element of matchmaking that I knew nothing about. It was intriguing. Abby's character of a divorce lawyer who ends up identifying matches is delightful while also feeling like a realistic challenge for her career. I really thought this was a well written story that falls squarely into an up-lit stories, I love.

What I didn’t like so much: Honestly, cannot think of much, I thought it was a delight.

Who Should Read It: People who happy stories with dual timelines. People who love a little romance but don't enjoy open door.

Summary: A delightful story about the gift of matchmaking with some magical realism.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

The Matchmaker's Gift
by Lynda Cohen Loigman
Pub Date: 20 Sep 2022

This book was just really special! While not my first "matchmaker" book this had a dual timeline (past with Sara and current day with Abby the granddaughter) and the two narratives perfectly balanced each other. I enjoyed the history of the Jewish matchmaker and the culture itself. I applauded Sara for fighting for her right to be a matchmaker even though she wasn't a man or married. Abby had her own struggles too. She fought against her own belief (or disbelief) about the matchmaking gift/curse and how to fit it into her life and the modern world.

There was so much about this book I loved! Our two heroines were so vividly written. Even with the magical elements to the story they just felt so real. The reader can't help but be invested in their lives and the outcome of all those who crossed their paths. The side characters and their stories captured you just as much as our two matchmakers. All the stories and histories of the matched couples were just so lovely to read.

This book didn't have flash, but that is exactly what made it so brilliant. It was simply amazing storytelling with words that were powerful in its presentation...words that stay with you beyond that last page.

Highly recommend!
5 Stars

Have you ever just loved a book in its entirety and not able to express in words exactly why because it’s all about how the book made you feel?
The Matchmaker’s Gift is that type of perfection.

From the first vignette, I was hooked and, quite literally, could not put this book down! I binge read the entire book.

I loved this book. I loved the characters. I loved the strong women. I loved the timeless advice woven in throughout the book. I loved the New York setting.

I just loved this book! It made my heart so happy.

10/10 recommend for those who love a heart-warming historical fiction.

Yesterday I woke up and immediately knew I had to finish The Matchmaker’s Gift by Lynda Cohen Loigman. I went to bed with 30 minutes left in the book and was devastated I had to put it down until the morning. This new fall release came out in the beginning of September. I was gifted a copy through @netgalley and @stmartinspress to read and review.

This is a book told in dual timelines. One takes place starting in 1910 and the other is in 1994. In 1994 we are following Abby. She is a divorce lawyer and her grandmother has passed away. She finds journals of her grandmother’s love matches that she made in her lifetime. It opens up a ton of questions for Abby. In 1910 we follow Sara, Abby’s grandmother, as her matchmaking journey begins and develops. What do these journals and her grandmother’s past mean for Abby’s future?

❤️Review❤️

I really enjoyed my reading experience. We got to be so immersed in these women’s lives and their Jewish culture. I loved seeing how it impacted them. It definitely had a bigger impact on Sara than Abby, but it was still an interesting take and look on it. I definitely learned and had some take always from it. It’s hard to choose a favorite perspective. Abby’s life was engaging to read about because she had every day problems to deal with. Her life has a little glitz and glam due to her dealing with wealthy clientele. As she begins to discover more about her grandmother and how it may start to impact her own life made the story even juicier. Sara was just as engaging because you got to see her start making matches as early as 10 years old and her push to do what’s right for people. I liked how the match making felt magical, but felt so natural at the same time. I can’t speak highly enough about this book. Definitely give it a try if you like romance, historical fiction, dual timelines, and a hint of magic.

4 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#Bookstagram #Books #BooksBooksBooks #Netgalley #EBooks #ReviewBooks #HistoricalFiction #MagicalRealism #Fiction #FictionBooks #FallBooks

I really enjoyed THE MATCHMAKER'S GIFT. I loved the way the author wove Jewish culture and history with a sort of rom-com with just a dash of magic together. Abby was a really endearing character. The grandmother-granddaughter bond at the heart of this story was really well-crafted and was an instance where dual timelines and dual POV narration worked really did. Reading about Sara Glikman and seeing how her granddaughter Abby grapples with her life in the aftermath of her grandmother's death really made me want to hug my own grandmother even though I am clearly not in the same situation as the protagonists of this novel. Sara's story was compelling and was a testament to the resilience of Jewish women throughout history. THE MATCHMAKER'S GIFT is a story about reinvention and grief, but there is a beautiful sort of joy that laces these pages that the reader cannot miss. Loigman has done a fabulous job with this story and I highly recommend it for all its heart and charm.

You are a matchmaker, Sara Glikman. A shadchanteh for this strange, new world.

Sara and her family were coming to America. A strong Jewish family with strong traditions. Sara had the gift of matchmaking and it was known to her family when saw the light between her sister and a young man on the boat that later became her husband. Sara was totally devoted to tradition and her family. Having this gift of matchmaking was only for the Shadchanteh who were mostly men and married. But her gift of seeing the light between neighbors, friends, work associates would not go away.

Years later her granddaughter had the gift as well. Abby had become a divorce lawyer when her parents had gone thru a terrible divorce leaving her family broken and her mother in despair. When Abby's grandmother Sara died, she had passed her journals to Abby seeing the gift in her.

The narration is done between two women in different times with the same gift. Their struggles are unique but also ironic in nature. I appreciated the strong sense of loyalty, love and hope. Abby's gift of matchmaking became full circle when she saw the light with her eye doctor that was a old family friend. Her eye doctor's grandparents were matched by Sara. What a turn of events and it gets more interesting when the match is made with clients.

I loved the whole concept and bring people together. The connections made. I think it brings a longing that we all have told in a very special story.

A special thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review

Although this book started a bit slow for me, it really picked up and I enjoyed the parallel stories. The book was fun and hopeful and clever read. I would definitely sell this book to customers looking for a delightful story.

When starting this book, I knew nothing of the Jewish religion, matchmakers, or the way of life in early 1900 New York. Now I feel as though I've walked in the shoes of a young Jewish woman in 1910 and again those of her granddaughter in the 1990's. I learned the challenges and fears of both girls as they tried to follow their hearts and grow into successful women in a 'man's" New York. I felt their frustrations as they tried to make decisions that were right for themselves as well as their families. I loved feeling the relationship between the grandmother and granddaughter, the good and the sad. I am happy to report that I was able to read through this book without being waylaid by grammatical or other errors. The entire book flowed beautifully from one scene to the next, one era to the next, beginning to end. I could not put it down. The only problem I'm having with this book is that I wanted to read more. There's more to this story and I hope the author picks up where she left off and brings us to hiding or explaining "paranormal" life in the 2000's. I highly recommend this book.

I read this book on behalf of Netgalley.com in exchange for my honest review.

This was such an amazing read! Two timelines which I love! The Matchmaker’s Gift by Lynda Cohen Loigman is truly a gift! So well-written and magical!

We are drawn into the lives of Sara Glikman, a young immigrant to NYC in the early 1900s and follow her life through the mid-1990s where we also meet her granddaughter Abby.

Sara is a matchmaker - she’s been doing it since she is 10 years old. Her ways are unorthodox, which gets her into trouble. But her matches are true and are made through her special gift. Her timeline shows the struggles immigrant families had, expectations for women and how brave Sara was to stand-up for herself when others tried to stop her.

Abby in 1994 is a divorce lawyer. She wants to protect women in divorce proceedings after seeing her mother being taken advantage of.

When Sara passes away, she leaves a message through a young woman that Abby can help her find her match. Abby does not think so - she does not have a gift for this. Or, she didn’t think she did!

It is so delightful to read of the matches Sara made, her gift and how it worked, the Yiddish and English sayings, in this book. It’s hard to fully describe the scent and sounds of the lower Eastside that are brought to life and smelling being drawn into Abby’s story as she struggles with her Grandmother’s promise.

Do yourself a favor and read this book - you will laugh and you will cry and you will close the book at the end and really bask in the wonder of life and live.

Thank you to @stmartinspress @kccpr @lloigman @letstalkbookspromo for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review! It was such a delight to do!

Beautiful and heartworming! This would make an excellent library recommendation or book club pick for your collection! Thoroughly engaging and lovely.